﻿﻿﻿﻿PACCT Research Team﻿﻿

Meet the team members who work hard running the lab!

Dr. Noni Gaylord-Harden

Dr. Noni Gaylord-Harden is the director of the PACCT lab. A native of Magnolia, Arkansas, Dr. Gaylord-Harden attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. After graduating with a bachelor's of science degree in psychology in 1997, she went on to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The University of Memphis in 2003. While at The University of Memphis, she began to explore questions regarding the contributions of stress to the development of psychopathology in African American youth, and the protective effects of youth coping and parent-child relationships in reducing psychopathology. She continued her training at the Institute for Juvenile Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, completing a predoctoral clinical internship and later working as a clinical postdoctoral research associate. She was also selected as a Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow and spent a year receiving additional research training at the University of Chicago. Dr. Gaylord-Harden is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Loyola University Chicago.

Dr. Gaylord-Harden’s primary research activities center on identifying coping strategies that are related to more positive outcomes for African American youth and understanding how protective family factors encourage youth to use more adaptive coping strategies. In collaboration with her graduate students and colleagues, she has published several research articles and presented numerous conference presentations on these topics. She has received funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Division 53 of the American Psychological Association and the Institute for Education Sciences for her research efforts.

Dr. Gaylord-Harden loves reading and spending time with her husband Troy, daughter Saniyya, and son Sinaan. She is an avid runner and has completed several marathons and half-marathons.

Current Members

Suzanna So

Suzanna So is a fifth year student in the PACCT Lab from the clinical psychology program at Loyola. Previously, she worked at the Center for Community Research for a year after receiving her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Chicago in 2012. She received her Master's degree in Clinical Psychology in May 2016 after defending her Master's thesis regarding coping strategies specific to community violence exposure. Born and raised in Chicago, her research interests involve predictors of community violence exposure and its impact on the mental health needs of low-income, urban minority youth. In her spare time, Suzanna likes to do photography, eat, dance, and spend time with family and friends.

Amanda Burnside

Amanda Burnside is a fourth year student in the PACCT lab from the child clinical psychology program at Loyola. After receiving her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 2012, she worked for two years at the University of Michigan Depression Center. Her research interests include pathways to violence exposure and factors that may protect youth from negative outcomes after experiencing community violence. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and trying new restaurants around Chicago.

Catherine Dudun

Catherine is currently a senior at Loyola University Chicago. Upon graduating with degrees in bothpsychology and biology, she intends to enter a doctoral program. She hopes to continue to pursue her research interests with the PACCT lab, which include parent-child relationships and the effects of violence on children and adolescents. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys traveling, cooking, and reading.

Liz Sargent

Liz is a first year clinical psychology student who joined the PACCT lab in 2017. She grew up in Northern Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and minor in criminal justice. After graduating, Liz worked at Northwestern University’s Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies on studies that tested online and mobile treatment tools for depression and anxiety. Liz’s research interests focus on youth mental health, coping with traumatic events and stress, involvement in the juvenile justice system, and the implementation of evidence based services for underserved children and families. In her free time, Liz enjoys hiking, biking, going to the beach, and exploring the many music venues and museums around Chicago.

Jenny Phan

​Jenny Phan is a first year student from the PACCT Lab from the clinical psychology program at Loyola. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Boston College in 2014. After college, she worked at Boston Children's Hospital as a research assistant where she explored risk and resilient processes within Somali refugee youth who have resettled in the United States. Her interests research include minority mental health, trauma, identity development, and culturally sensitive assessment and treatment. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, baking, practicing yoga, and exploring new restaurants in Chicago

DonTerius Tinsley

Don is currently a senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Psychology and double minoring in Criminal Justice and Computer Forensics. Upon graduation he hopes to enter into doctoral program in Clinical Psychology which has been fueled by his recent interests in research found in the PACCT Lab. He is looking forward to working in the lab and learning to do research. In his spare time he enjoys cycling and playing the piano.

Cathy Montgomery

Cathy began working as an undergraduate research assistant in the PACCT Lab as a junior McNair Scholar, and is currently a post-bacc research assistant. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2017 with a B.S in Psychology and a B.A. in Sociology, and she also had a minor in Women Studies and Gender Studies. Her research interests include aggression, risk, and belonging in children and adolescents, and she hopes to enter a doctoral program in Clinical Psychology. In her free time, Cathy enjoys reading, knitting, baking, and playing ultimate frisbee.

Loren McCauley

Loren is currently a Junior at Loyola University of Chicago and is studying Psychology with a minor in African Studies. She began working as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the PACCT Lab as a sophomore McNair Scholar. Her research interests include the effects exposure to community violence has within the black diaspora in low-income, urban communities, coping, aggression and racism & discrimination. Loren hopes to pursue a doctorate in Clinical Psychology after she graduates.

Ayse Ismailoglu

After graduating Loyola University Chicago in 2017 with a B.S. in Psychology on a pre-med track, Ayse is now a first year research assistant in the PACCT Lab. She wishes to pursue a graduate degree in psychology with a concentration on youth development in violent/stressful environments. She also currently works as a research intern at The University of Chicago for the Hospitalist Project, which focuses on inpatient hospital care. As a South Florida native, she enjoys being outside and going to the beach, as well as cooking, listening to music, and watching different TV shows.

Keesha Moliere

Keesha Moliere is currently a senior at Loyola University Chicago and is currently working on completing her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and Sociology. She intends to enter a doctoral program for clinical psychology after she graduates. Her research interests lie in the psychological distress of racism/discrimination of the black diaspora in the US context. Keesha looks forward to the experiences and knowledge she will gain from the PACCT Lab. Her interests include reading, biking, voguing, and cooking.

Danah Atassi

Danah Atassi is currently a senior at Loyola University Chicago. Upon graduating with a degree in psychology, she intends to enter graduate school. Her research interests include protective factors for African American youth exposed to stress, and the coping behaviors of immigrant and refugee adolescents. In her spare time, Danah enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her friends and family. He is looking forward to working in the PACCT lab and conducting research for her Psychology Honors thesis.

PACCT Alumni

Cynthia Pierre

Cynthia Pierre is a sixth year student in the clinical psychology program and in PACCT. She received her Bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Spanish at The College of New Jersey, and she defended her Master’s thesis in November 2012. Her research interests include contextual risk factors of mental health and academic outcomes among urban ethnic minority youth, such as stress and desensitization to community violence. She is also interested in the process of implementing and evaluating effective prevention and intervention programs that address mental health issues among this population. Cynthia enjoys cooking, reading, and listening to music.

Emma-Lorraine Bart-Plange

Emma-Lorraine Bart-Plange is a sixth year student in the PACCT lab who joined the child clinical program at Loyola after completing her Bachelor’s degree in psychology at Saint Louis University. Emma-Lorraine defended her master's thesis in April 2015. Her research interests include acculturative stress, coping behaviors of immigrant and refugee youth and families, and public mental health concerns in low and middle income countries (LMICs). In her free time, Emma-Lorraine enjoys reading, cooking, and volunteering.

Grace Jhe Bai

Grace Jhe Bai is a sixth year doctoral student in the PACCT lab from the child clinical psychology program at Loyola. After receiving her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Human Development from Boston College in 2010, Grace worked at Dr. John Weisz's lab at Judge Baker Children’s Center, Harvard Medical School for two years. Her research interests include coping behaviors of children with abuse or neglect, as well as cultural and familial risk, and protective factors of mental health outcomes. In her leisure time, she enjoys cooking, volunteering, photographing, and spending time with her friends and family.

Darrick Scott

A native of the Southside of Chicago, Darrick Scott earned his BA in psychology from Howard University in May 2012. His research interests are rooted within depression and anxiety along with coping and risk factors that contribute to the mental health of low-income adolescent youth within the inner city. In his leisure time, Darrick enjoys listening to music, watching films, and traveling.

Mirinda Morency

In May 2015, Mirinda received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology. She hopes to enter into a doctoral program in Clinical Psychology to eventually open her own practice and continue research. Mirinda fell in love with research through her McNair program, which provided a summer research internship. Her research interests center around violence exposure and its effects on adolescent youth, resiliency in underserved communities, social support, and the psychological effects and coping skills in adolescents. As a post-bacc research assistant in this lab, Mirinda is excited to continue working on current projects and making an impact on the community. In her leisure time, Mirinda enjoys singing, reading, writing, and spending time with family and friends., Mirinda enjoys singing, reading, writing, and spending time with family and friends.

Latriece Clark

Latriece is currently a senior at Loyola University completing a B.S. in psychology. Upon graduation she intends to pursue graduate work in the area of brain and behavior and mental health. Her research interests lye within the biological process that drive behavior and how environmental factors affect those biological processes. In her spare time she enjoys catching up on movies/ t.v. shows/documentaries, yoga/pilates, and spending quality time with fiends and family.

Faye Domokos

Faye is currently a senior at Loyola University Chicago with a double major in Biology and Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. Just recently she made the decision that she wants to go to graduate school and is hoping to get as much experience in a wide variety of different labs over the course of the next few years. She is involved in a couple of areas around campus, but especially loves her time in Undergrad Admissions working as a tour guide and in the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution as a part of the Student Community Board. Twice a month you can find her volunteering at the Museum of Science and Industry where she hopes to instill a curiosity and passion for science in the kids that visit.

Kim Katner

Kim is currently a senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in psychology and minoring in social work. She is looking forward to developing her research interests and learning more about community violence and coping in the PACCT lab. Her interests include traveling and exploring new places, instructing fitness classes, and swimming.